By: JJ3672

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'Operation instructions: 1. Destroy the pallets. 2. Throw the gravlift into the slot. 3. Let all hell break loose. 4-16 players.'

Backstory

The UNSC has been doing weapons testing in the southwest corner of New Mexico for over 10 years, and the area has been reduced to a series of smoldering craters from megaton bomb testing. However, a recent underground scan of the area conducted by the government has shown significant traces of oil in the region reserved for the UNSC for military exercises. Given the current oil crisis, the government immediately expressed interest in a drilling operation in this area, forcing the military to relocate their testing grounds.

While moving the equipment and facilities about 100 miles east, the UNSC stumbled upon a rocky pass previously unnoticed by desert explorers. What they found upon venturing through the pass was astounding: a series of mysterious mechanisms constructed by an ancient culture. Carbon dating showed that the structures were built over eight millennia ago, but the technology used in their construction is on par with today’s standards, perhaps even more advanced than current technology.

Each mechanism was tagged with a codename, and numerous structures were constructed near and around the ancient devices to aid with research, including observation towers, safehouses, vehicle docking, and maintenance tunnels.

System Zeta is just the sixth out of thirteen discovered mechanisms. These discoveries are worth an innumerably large amount of money and lives, so the area has been given top security protection. Tread carefully.

Overview

Here we have a relatively large competitive map with abundant creativity and a desert theme. The map is 90% interlocked and geo-merged, and it looks as aesthetically nice as a desert-themed map in a warehouse could possibly look. There is enough symmetry to make it balanced for team games, but there is enough difference that it could be called asymmetric. Therefore I won’t call it anything, you guys can decide for yourself. It is a switch map at its core, but the activation of the switch isn’t as simple as grabbing a powerup and watching some minor event that occurs. The switch can change the whole dynamic of the game, so you have to decide whether it’s worth the risk. More on the switch later, and now on to the pics…

This is an overview of the front side of the mechanism and surrounding area. From center to left is Mechanism Zeta itself, and at bottom right with the fence wall is the Auxiliary Maintenance Tunnel.

Mechanism Zeta – the driving force behind the map, the mechanism has its own separate section in the post. Scroll down for more.

Auxiliary Maintenance Tunnel – consisting of a simple interlocked/geo-merged box with a fence wall hatch, this tunnel allows scientists both to make any repairs to the plasma propulsion system and collect discharge from the mechanism (warning! discharge has some strange effects, such as making the collector invisible).

This is an overview of the back side of the mechanism and surrounding area. The Main Maintenance Tunnels take up the bulk of the picture, but the mechanism (including shield doors and bridges) can be seen behind maintenance.

Main Maintenance Tunnels – with more complexity than the auxiliary tunnels, these tunnels allow for both repairs to the power core and also the collection of discharge from the aforementioned power core (warning! discharge has some strange effects, such as making the collector glowing and more durable).

This is an overview of a major rock outcropping (foreground) and Observation Tower B (background). The mechanism and maintenance tunnels can be seen at right.

Observation Tower B – the observation towers are inaccessible to vehicles, making them a good refuge from that pesky ghost. It is also possible and highly recommended to have someone watching from an observation tower when the mechanism is activated, allowing the observer to call out the locations of the scattered weapons.

The reverse of the last overview pic, this again shows the major rock outcropping (foreground) but Observation Tower A is displayed instead of its counterpart. The mechanism and maintenance tunnels can be seen at upper left (damn crane).

Observation Tower A – see description for observation tower B.

This is an overview of the vehicle dock, smaller rock outcroppings, and safehouse area (mancannon platform and small storage room) for one team. Pic was taken from atop main maintenance tunnels.

This is an overview of the same assets on the other team’s side, arranged slightly differently but without an effect on game balance. Pic was taken from mancannon near storage room.

Mechanism Tutorial

This is the power core, which acts as the primary energy source for the mechanism. The yellow energy spheres cannot be altered in any way, but the red energy sphere must be collected periodically as discharge to prevent the mechanism from overloading.

This is the very top of the mechanism, and it is the place where the end result of its activation occurs. The fusion coils on top of the fence box will explode a short time after the mechanism is activated, scattering six relatively powerful weapons into random locations around the map (warning! weapons occasionally are blown off the map or fail to leave the top platform, so don’t go get yourself killed while hunting for that splazer). The shield doors surrounding the fusion coils prevent premature activation of the mechanism by repelling grenades and/or weapon fire.

Here is the control room where players can choose whether or not to activate the mechanism (or perhaps just take cover from a sniper). Access to the control room is first gained by destroying the thin wooden pallets (never respawn) which block the entrances from both sides. Players wishing to activate the mechanism then must pick up a gravlift from the back wall (sitting in the weapon holder) and throw it into the indicated slot (as demonstrated by myself here).

The control room from a different angle shows the slot where the gravlift must be thrown as indicated by the blinking arrow (warning! any human who slips into the mechanism will be chopped up into forty thousand pieces and/or fall to their death). The fence wall floor provides a way for players to watch the progress of the deployed gravlift as it is shifted into position by a plasma propulsion system (gravlift can be seen just below teleporter in this pic).

Details and Pickups

Note: The Sniper, Beam Rifle, Splazer, Sentinel Beam, Gravity Hammer, Energy Sword, and Gravlift are all involved with the mechanism (see section above).

Front of the mechanism and auxiliary maintenance tunnel. The Camo sits inside the tunnel, a pair of Plasmas sits on the fence wall above it, and a pair of SMG’s rest against the doors farther back.

Closer look at the main maintenance tunnels. The Overshield sits atop the power core, a Firebomb lies in each of the two fence boxes off to the side (down the tunnels from OS), and a Plasma Pistol rests at the entrance to the tunnels (merged single box).

Observation tower B. A Mauler and a pair of Frags can be found on the interlocked walls, a BR sits at the top of the staircases, and a Flare lies atop the vertical double boxes.

Observation tower A. A Regenerator and a pair of Frags are located on the interlocked wall, a Mauler is suspended in the mini-tunnel below, and a BR rests against the ledge between the two flat double boxes.

Smaller rock formation and storage room (where I spawned). A Power Drain sits inside the rocks and a Machine Gun Turret is located on top of them. A BR and Carbine can be found inside the storage room. Another BR and a pair of Frags can be found on the mancannon platform. These weapons are the same for both sides.

Another rock formation and the vehicle dock. A pair of Plasmas sits inside the rock and a Ghost is found on the fence wall platform (you can actually get to it from underneath). These weapons/vehicles are the same for both sides.

Aerial shot of the major rock outcropping. A Needler sits on the highest rock, while a Carbine and a pair of Plasmas can be found on the lower rocks.

Lists

Weapons:

1 Needler, r=60, c=1
2 Maulers, r=60, c=1
2 Machine Gun Turrets, r=180
6 BR’s, r=30, c=2
3 Carbines, r=30, c=2
2 SMG’s, r=30, c=2
1 Plasma Pistol, r=30

Grenades:

8 Frags, r=10
8 Plasmas, r=10
2 Firebombs, r=30

Equipment:

2 Power Drains, r=60
1 Regenerator, r=60
1 Flare, r=60

Vehicles:

2 Ghosts, r=120

Powerups:

1 Camo, r=180
1 Overshield, r=180

Associated w/ Mechanism:

1 Sniper, r=120
1 Beam Rifle, r=120
1 Splazer, r=120
1 Sentinel Beam, r=120
1 Energy Sword, r=120
1 Gravity Hammer, r=120
1 Gravlift, r=60
14 Fusion Coils, r=60
4 Custom Powerups (aesthetic)

Gametypes:

Slayer
CTF (flag spawns and returns are on mancannon platforms)
Assault (for “team a” bomb spawns in main maintenance tunnels and must be planted in observation tower b, for “team b” bomb spawns above auxiliary maintenance tunnel and must be planted in observation platform a)
Neutral Bomb (bomb spawns on major rock outcropping, bomb plants are in both observation towers)
Territories (T1+2 are around smaller rocks/power drain/turret for both teams, T3+4 are on both observation platforms, T5 is in control room, T6 is in main maintenance tunnel)

Miscellaneous Pics

[Pic removed from this location because of 20 pic limit]

Destroy the pallets to gain access to the control room…

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Sorry for the lack of action shots, I took a few and they mysteriously disappeared on me (dunno if there’s room in the post for them anyway w/ the 20 pic limit). Anyway, I have reached the end of this extremely long map post, and I commend you if you’re still reading this.

Take the time to comment/rate/DL, and don’t forget to look at my other maps if you haven’t already seen them (links in sig).